


when night falls

by lollarissa



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Dreams, F/M, Fluff, No Smut, Plot, Reader is a Doctor, Slow Burn, Thanks, also, blame school, by the way, depends i guess, first fic y'all be gentle, i have no idea how to write smut, i think, i'll add tags as i go, i'm a thirsty hoe, if u comment the song used for the chapter title i will love u forever, inspired by while you were sleeping, irregular updates, love stories bish, or i'll give you spoilers, please comment, please give it a chance i swear i'll do my best, so there's that, sorry - Freeform, there is a lot of plot, title will probably change at some point, when i said slow burn i meant it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-16
Updated: 2018-04-03
Packaged: 2019-03-19 08:00:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,924
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13700274
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lollarissa/pseuds/lollarissa
Summary: There's too much dust. Where did it come from? Why is there so much screaming? It hurts, please, it hurts. You scream for help, but nothing happens. Nobody came.This isn't real, is it? You want to wake up. Why can't you wake up?-You've had dreams of the future for as long as you can remember, but no matter what you do, you've never been able to change the outcome, so why is it that a short skeleton managed to save someone who died in your dream? And why is he constantly so nice to you?It's as if he's trying to apologize for something.





	1. in the middle of the night, in my dreams

The sun is shining in your eyes, and you could barely see what was in front of you. Newspaper in hand, you use it to block the light, and your eyes catch a glimpse of the date on it. July 15, 201X.

There is an ethereal feel to the moment when your eyes flick around. A flash of blue is visible out of the corner of your eye, but you pay no mind to it. There is a light breeze, and the branches of the tree above you sways slowly. You can hear the rustling of leaves, and light, mindless chatter as people go about their day. Across the street is the bus stop, and your eyes widen at the sight of a skeleton monster sit on one of the empty benches there. You look away, trying to be polite. 

You've run into him several times now, but only briefly, and not nearly enough time to satisfy your curiosity. He seems to have a permanent grin on his face, but it seems relaxed and not forced. Maybe he's just happy all the time? His posture is impeccable; his spine is completely straight, and his hands are resting on his knees. His red scarf flutters lightly in the breeze, and he flashes a bright smile to everyone who passes by and makes eye contact with him.

You look away; you have a bad feeling about this. There’s a growing feeling of nausea in you. The moment you turn around there's the screeching of tires and the sound of metal tearing. There's a scream somewhere in the distance and . . . dust? You stand up from your seat and realize that a bus had hit the bus stop, where the skeleton was waiting. Your heart drops. Dust, you remember, was what monsters turned into when they died.

You start to walk forward, when the world turns sideways, and there's an ungodly screech coming from the clock beside you.

Another dream.

Rubbing your eyes, you grab the post-it and pencil on your nightstand and write down the date in your dream and where it would happen. Staring at it sadly, you decide that enough is enough and you get out of bed. 

It's July 14 today, which would mean that it would happen tomorrow.

Going through your usual morning routine, your mind drifts back to the dream. Usually, you get dreams of humans, but this is the first time to have a monster be the subject of your dreams.

Monsters have been on the surface for almost ten years now, and the world has adjusted to the sudden appearance of a new species on the planet. The first few years were a mess, with rallies protesting both for the monsters and against them. Eventually, humans begrudgingly accepted them into society, although some were still extremely rude towards them.

Their ambassador, Frisk, really did a great job.

It was impressive how an eight year old kid was able to successfully introduce monsters to society as well as be the poster child for all their campaigns. You've had the pleasure of meeting them when they were younger, and they spoke with a maturity that left you stunned.

Your mind eventually drifted back to the matter at hand: the monster in your dream.

You feel like you've seen him before in another dream, but trying to remember it only results in a headache, and other vague visions of snow, a golden hallway, and painfully bright blue light. The split second that it crosses your mind is enough to make you nauseous; that dream is the only dream you've had which hasn't come true. You don’t even know if there is a place like that. You’ve only had dreams of people in the city you lived in, and you’re pretty sure that there aren’t any golden hallways in Ebott City. Still, everything else already has, and no matter what you do, you've never been able to change the outcome.

Your heart feels exceptionally heavy as you walk out of your apartment with the knowledge that yet another person would die, and that you wouldn't be able to do anything about it.

-

The next day, you find yourself almost unable to breathe with the panic that suddenly gripped your very soul. What time is it? Are you too late? Fuck!

You hurriedly brush your teeth and wash your face as you grab your coat from the chair and run out your apartment. You buy a newspaper on the way, just to check the date, and you accidentally run into someone in your rush. "Sorry!" You turn around, another apology on your lips, but it promptly dies once you take in who you bumped into.

It's another skeleton.

He seems to have one of his eyebrows (browbones?) raised, but there's still a relaxed grin on his face asking he chuckles at your tongue tied state. "what? never seen a skeleton before?" He comments, but you promptly shake your head as you laugh, still slightly out of breath. "Nah," you reply cheerily (or at least as cheerily as you can in this breathless state). "I've seen another one around. The tall one? Red scarf? Literal ray of sunshine?" It's his turn to laugh as he nods. "ah, that's my bro. he's papyrus." His smile is bright, and he stuffs his hands into the pockets of his jacket, leaning back slightly.

An idea tumbles into your head, and you start talking before you even think about what you're saying. Wait, no don’t say it- "Don't let him go to the bus stop today!" You blurt out. Dammit! "In fact, don't let him go anywhere near a bus stop! Tell him to stay at home, and to never, ever, leave your side today! Please, you have to listen to me- he's going to die today, there's going to be an accident and he-"

Sans cuts you off with a hand, and you notice that is eye lights have shrunken into tiny pricks which are barely visible, and his earlier easygoing grin is now more like a grimace. "is that a threat?" He says, voice dangerously low. _Oh shit_ , you immediately blanch, and attempt to backtrack, but all that leaves your mouth is a series of incoherent syllables that make no sense whatsoever. He chuckles darkly. "kid, what are you playing at?"

You open your mouth to say something, but once again your vocabulary fails you; you suspect that you look a lot like a fish because of your actions. Eventually, you remember how to speak, but by then, his eye lights have vanished completely, and his grin is nothing short of menacing. "listen, bud." He continues, and his eye lights return to tiny pricks of light. "i have no idea what you're trying to achieve, but i can tell you this: if you are in any way, involved in this so-called accident, then you really aren't going to like what happens next."

"Please," you beg, having found your voice once more. "Please, you have to believe me…" you trail off. Why do you care so much? You don't know the person, and the only thing they've ever done for you is smile! Why did you care so much about a stranger dying?

You try one more time. You clear your thought and talk. "At the bus stop, near the park. I don't know when exactly it'll happen, but the sun is still up. A bus crashes into the bus stop and…" Your voice cracks, and you swallow. "I don't know if he survived, but there was dust." You finish, and he looks at you disbelievingly.

"human," he started. "i don't know you. i sure as hell don't trust you. good day." He walks away, hands still in his pockets. His stance makes it seem like he hasn't a care in the world. Your eyes unwillingly well up with angry tears, but you look up and try to blink them away.

It was rare for you to run into the people you had dreams about, but you always told them what would happen and to be careful. They never believed you. Why did you think he would?

Something inside of you snaps.

You sprint to the bus stop. You've always failed to change the future, but it never hurts to try.

You hope you're not too late.


	2. you should see the things we did

Once he was out of sight, Sans walked fast, desperately trying to find a place to disappear to. The earlier human, whoever she was, was currently a threat. Yes, things have been peaceful in the past ten years, but countless resets taught him to always keep his guard up. And if this human was right, then it was his brother's life at stake.  
He soon found a back alley and teleported to his lab. Sure, memories could be tampered with when it came to resets, but machines couldn't.

Checking his contraption, it showed that no timeline ever made it this far, and Frisk promised to them that they would never reset again. Seems that the kid does keep promises. He continued to keep watch of the machine, trying to figure out if there was something wrong. If this is the first timeline to ever get this far, then how did the human know that?

He checked the time. 10:16 am.

Whether or not the human was right, he had to check.

-

You were standing underneath the tree. He still hasn't appeared, and it's been two hours. You fiddled with your newspaper nervously, trying desperately to keep calm.

You were starting to give up.

You checked your phone. 9:47 am. You still had time. You vaguely wondered about your plants, as you had forgotten to water them in your rush to get out, when suddenly, a tall figure appeared in your line of vision.You stood up suddenly. That's him! Papyrus!

And so you run across the road, and he shoots you a bright smile. Your heart clenches, and you take a deep breath before you start talking. "Papyrus?" You said tentatively. "YES! IT IS I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS! HOW MAY I HELP YOU?"He said joyously, and you felt yourself get slightly distracted by his smile, but you steeled yourself and pushed on. "We have to get out of here, Papyrus," you said hurriedly. "Something bad is going to happen, and we need to get somewhere safe. Please," you added, desperately trying to get both of you out of there.

"I DON'T UNDERSTAND HUMAN. ARE YOU SAYING THAT THIS BUS STOP IS DANGEROUS? IF SO, DO NOT FEAR! THE GREAT PAPYRUS WILL PROTECT YOU!" He said, posing. You cracked a small smile at his antics, but shook your head. "I appreciate your bravery, Papyrus. But we really, really, need to get out of here please." You replied, taking his hand and pulling lightly, and you pointed outside.

"VERY WELL HUMAN! IF YOU INSIST, THEN-"

-

The first thing he noticed was that there were a lot of people. Not that that was hard to notice, but still. The second thing that he noticed was that there were sirens. The last thing he noticed was smoke.

He looked around, but it was impossible to see anything with the crowd, so he teleported to the top of the building across the street. It wasn't that high, but it still did the trick.

There was a wreck by the park, and if he was right, then the bus was exactly where the bus stop used to be. The paramedics were lifting someone's body onto a bed and into an ambulance. The air was familiar, and a bit gritty. It felt like scattered magic, magic he was familiar with-

No. It can't be Papyrus. Paps was fine, Paps was still alive, he can't be dead. He can't be.

Not even caring if anyone saw him appearing from nowhere, he teleported to the scene, where the first thing he saw was a soul of kindness hovering over a mangled body, familiar glassy eyes staring into nothingness, the tiniest fractures spreading over its surface. It was familiar, it was-

It was the girl from earlier. He remembered their soul's aura- it was her.

He felt a wave of nausea wash over him as he scanned the place for something familiar when he saw a familiar shade of red beside the girl's body, slowly absorbing the blood, changing into a darker hue.

Papyrus' scarf.

His soul hurt. Please, he begged. This isn't real. Please. 

Eventually, one of the officers recognized him as Papyrus's brother (a regular at Grillby's), and led him to the police car and drove him to the police station, where he saw them reviewing the footage from the camera across the street. The girl was seen crossing the street, and then talked to Papyrus. He saw her pulling at his brother's hand, pointing at somewhere in the distance. They had only taken a step forward when the bus crashed into them, killing them both. Everything felt off. It felt cold and warm and soft and harsh all at the same time. It felt like lonely nights and darkness and emptiness and _nightmares_ -

This isn’t real, is it?

He walked out of the police station, ignoring the officer's calls for him to stay. This isn't real, this isn't real, this isn't real.

_This was all just a bad dream. He needed to wake up. Please. He needed to wake-_

He sat up abruptly, taking deep, gasping breaths.

He checked his phone. 6:44 AM. July 13, 201X.

Sans had no idea what to do with the dream, honestly. Was it real? Would it really come true? Who was that girl?

So he just slept it off. Papyrus wouldn't wake him for another two hours, and he really wanted to go back to sleep. 

-

He woke up to an empty house. Surprised? No. Mildly panicking? Yes. he tried to reason with his mind, desperately trying to calm down.

Thirteenth of July. July thirteenth. 7-13. 

_stop thinking about the dream, idiot._

He shook his head trying to find his phone. He had cracked the screen again. Seriously? His magic must've gone haywire again last night. Paps was going to kill him. 

There was something at the back of his mind telling him that he had forgotten something very important. Still, he paid no mind to it, going back to examining his phone. It was still salvageable, with the only damage being the screen. His broken reflection stared back at him, eyes haunted and tired. With him alone, his ever-present grin faded to a frown, and he looked every bit as tired as he actually was. 

Bloody kid and their resets. 

_it's alright_ , he told himself. _the kid wasn't themselves. it wasn't them._

Speaking of which, Frisk was in the hospital because they caught pneumonia, which from what they explained was a very intense cold. It didn't stop him from freaking out when the kid started coughing up blood. Something to do with the infection, if he remembers correctly. 

Sighing, he moves to get up from his bed when he realizes that he is extremely tied up in his blanket. This was going to be a long morning. 

-

People still stared at him as he passed by. He had hoped that maybe after sometime, people wouldn't be so surprised at their appearance, but strangers still did double-takes whenever they saw him, a skeleton, walking. 

Okay, so maybe it was a bit justified. 

He shot a relaxed grin at whoever made eye contact with him. Some looked away, and some younger ones smiled back. It made him a bit happier. 

He stood just before the entrance to the hospital, bracing himself. He wasn't fond of hospitals at all- it always seemed a bit down in his point of view, and people don't usually take lightly to seeing what appears to be the literal embodiment of death walking around in a blue hoodie. Still, he took a deep breath and soldiered on. 

Or, he suddenly realized, he could just teleport into the room Frisk was in. Yeah, that would be better. Stars, if Papyrus was here, he’d never hear the end of it. 

Promptly turning around and walking to the nearest alley, he took a shortcut straight into the hospital room, which gave the occupants of the room quite the shock. He shot them a sheepish grin as Toriel started shaking her head with a small smile and Frisk was shaking with silent laughter. 

“Sans,” Toriel said gently. “A little warning wouldn’t hurt.” She added sternly, yet her eyes betrayed the mirth she was hiding. “of course, tori. wouldn’t want to scare you out of your skin,” he joked, as Frisk shook their head disappointedly. “You’ve used that every time you scared us because of your shortcuts for ten years!” They said, crossing their arms and looking at him as if he had disappointed them a great deal. They all laughed at that, but their little moment was interrupted when someone knocked. “Come in!” Toriel responded.

The door swung open. 

“Hello there.” She smiled, clipboard in hand, white coat swaying lightly with her movement. “I’m the doctor, or to be more specific, Frisk’s doctor. Pleased to meet you,” she greeted.

A bright smile- _lifeless eyes_ \- rosy cheeks- _blood on the cement_ \- a green shirt- _a fractured green soul, hovering over a lifeless body_ \- it was her.

The girl in his dream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> second chapter out! hope you all liked this :D so for those wondering why sans didn't believe the reader at first, it actually has a lot to do with the fact that she is a complete stranger! our dear snas has a lot of trust issues, and besides, if anyone in real life were too suddenly approach you an say that your sibling would die, it's just really unlikely that you would believe them.
> 
> see you then, lovelies!


	3. i can't say anything to your face

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> hello fam. i know, i know-- it's late. hope you still like it though! i literally just finished this chapter, so i hope you'll forgive any typos. ((also, i had my one of my best friends read this, and she said it was mildly confusing?? or at least the last chapter was, so to clear things up, yes the whole of chapter one is set in the very near future, or at least, plot-wise, and yes, it was all in sans's dream! chapter two is on July 13, 201X, two days before it happens.))
> 
> anyways! i have a [tumblr](https://dissociatingsans.tumblr.com/), so if u want to talk to me, um, pls talk to me i am v lonely.

“are you okay?”

Your vision was hazy, and your ears were ringing. There was a blue blur in front of you, yet your eyes refused to focus. You nodded, and winced almost immediately. Your head was aching like hell, and you felt liquid running from your nose. Confused, you reached up to touch it and when you drew your fingers back; they were covered in a thick red liquid. 

Blood. 

Is that…? It's yours. What happened?

“it's okay, i’ve got you- relax; paps, have you called the police?” The blue blur said, motioning to a red blur in the background. Said red blur nodded hastily, as blue blur moved to hold you in his arms, making sure to cradle your head. “you’re okay. i’ve got you- you’ll be okay.” He, or at least you think it's a he, repeated. You can't figure out who he's trying to reassure- you or him. 

Making a sound which sounded like a mix of a grunt and a whine, you tried to sit up, only to discover that your leg was bleeding. Panicking, you tried to push away from the blue blur, but he only tightened his hold on you, and hushed you. “relax- yeah, i know it hurts, but moving will only make it worse. it's okay, you're safe. i’m here now.”

Your eyes finally focused. 

Star-like pricks of light looked down at you, and you finally relaxed. You're safe. 

-

Your eyes fluttered open, sunlight streaming through your windows. Your heart fluttered in your chest at the memory of his deep voice telling you that you were safe now, that he’s got you, and that you’ll be okay. You let out a sigh, grinning hopelessly to yourself, lying face down on a pillow, your squeal of joy muffled.

Hold on, recap-

You just had a dream about being in an accident, and your first reaction is to blush about the guy who saved you? Why were you so flustered? Were you that desperate for something to happen in your love life? The guy probably wasn’t even human! What kind of human has literal stars for eyes, deep and all encompassing, as if you were looking at the night sky- stop!

You let out another sigh. This simply cannot do. You had to do your rounds in an hour, and you still haven’t gotten out of bed.

Practically rolling out, you resigned yourself to another day of interacting with people even though you would much rather stay at home and watch Netflix.

-

Lunch break couldn’t have come earlier. 

Yes, you liked helping people, and yes, you actually liked it when family members pulled you aside to show their thanks, but it didn’t change the fact that the whole thing was emotionally and physically draining. 

You heard someone call out your name from behind, and your smile turned to a grimace for a split second until you rearranged it into something more friendly. Can’t you have a moment of peace? The irritation doubles, however, as you find that it’s actually one of the nurses, Tom. For the love of fuck, what did he want now?

“So, I, uh....” He railed off, scratching the back of his neck. “I noticed that you like eating?”

You blinked. It takes all of your willpower not to burst out laughing. Still, you nodded and smiled encouragingly, trying to get him to spit it out, whatever it was that he was trying to say. He took the hint, fortunately, and continued. “There’s this new restaurant just around the corner, and I was thinking maybe you’d like to go with me tonight? I heard the food there is great.”

Oh _shit_. How does one politely say no again? 

You shook your head sadly, or at least tried to make it look sad, then replied. “Sorry, I’ve got something lined up for tonight, and well, you know, it’s not something I can put off.” You adjusted your grip on your little paper bag with your food in it. It rustled against your clothing, and you opt to look at instead. Tom takes this motion as regret, and shoots you a bright grin. “Oh it’s alright! We can always go some other time,” he suggests, and you nod. The two of you stood there awkwardly for a few second until you clapped your hands. 

“Right!” You said suddenly. “Best get going, you know. I’ve only got thirty minutes left of my break. See ya!” You said hurriedly, walking forwards, giving him a wave. He looked at you dazedly, a small grin on his face as he waved at you.

You ran up the stairs, skipping steps occasionally. You pushed the doors to the rooftop, and smile. Finally, some peace and quiet.

Your alarm shook you (metaphorically) from your reverie. Checking your phone and comparing it to your watch, you noticed that it had stopped ticking. For a split second, pure, unadulterated rage coursed through your veins, only to fade almost immediately. Dammit, you wouldn’t be able to eat your burger!

You sighed, resigning yourself to your fate. 

You were so occupied with your thoughts that you didn’t even notice you’re already back at your office. You’re about to enter when another colleague calls out for you.

“Heya!” You turned around to find Ginny, who was arguably one of your favorite people to ever exist, walking towards you. Your earlier fake grin faded into something more sincere as you greeted her. “I was wondering if you could switch with me?” She asked, smiling at you sweetly and making sure to flutter her eyelashes a bit. It’s all ironic, you know, but it doesn’t stop you from letting out a bark of laughter at her antics. “Switch what?” You asked lightheartedly, unable to keep your grin off of your face. “Well, it’s not really a switch, I just need you to cover for me is all.” She explained, her cheeks flushing a rosy pink. “It’s just, my girlfriend is going to perform real soon, and I forgot to take a day off today so…”

You’re already nodding.

She lit up at the sight of you agreeing, immediately throwing herself at you and hugging you tightly. “Oh, you absolute angel! Thank you, thank you, thank you!” She squealed, swaying you both in place. “Alright, alright,” you chuckled, letting go. ”I’ll need to know who I’ll be covering for you. Got a list?”

She grinned. “I knew you’d ask for that.” She said, pulling out a piece of paper from her coat pocket. Damn, was she that confident that you’d say yes? Still, you took it from her, skimming over the rather short list.

_Frisk Dreemurr, 18._

Wait, what? “Ginny, is this the-”

“Monster Ambassador? Hell yeah. Sweet kid, and their mom’s real cool too. Don’t you worry.” 

_Hooooooly shit._ Have you mentioned how much you love Ginny?

 

-

 

You took a deep breath.

You were standing right outside the monster ambassador’s room clutching your clipboard nervously. This is it! At the same time though, you realized how awkward it was that you were lowkey fangirling about someone who is younger than you, but you pushed the thought away. You knocked hesitantly, then waited for a response. There was definitely someone inside, or maybe even multiple someones, you deducted, based on the voices. Not that it took a genius to figure that out, but still!

Lost in your thoughts, you almost missed someone telling you to come in. Here goes. 

You pushed the door open gently, a bright smile on your face. “Hello there,” you said, observing the occupants of the room, namely a rather tall goat lady, a skeleton, and an eighteen year old on the bed. 

Heh. Sounds like an opening for a joke. 

“I’m the doctor, or to be more specific, Frisk’s doctor!” 

Sweet lord almighty. Did you really have to start with a Doctor Who reference? You shook it off, trying to play it cool. (Disappointedly, you noted that no one noticed the reference, and frowned internally.)

“Hello, miss! I must thank you for taking care of our dear Frisk,” Toriel, you think, exclaimed, rising from her seat and extending a hand for you to shake. “Oh no, it’s no--”

She cut you off with a sweet “Oh, please do not be so modest. Your people were so us when we took Frisk here. While I know that you were not the doctor we met at first, you were still just as kind when we first entered the hospital, and even pulled a doctor aside to help us when you needed to tend to a patient!”

Wait, that was them? Okay, that was definitely going to be the last time you would take a midnight shift if you could take it. You remembered, some monsters bringing in a teenager who was shaking because of how high their fever was, but you didn’t recognize them at the time. (how did you not recognize them??? You decided to blame it on your exhaustion addled brain at the time for the meanwhile.)

“Well, um, uhhhh…”

Eloquently put, self.

You had a light blush creep up your cheeks. You hadn’t thought much of it then, only seeing a sick person in their arms, and your instincts kicking in. Heh.

“Anyways!” You said suddenly, trying to get the attention off of you. “Just dropped by to um, check their vitals…?” You ended uncertainly. How does one Doctor again?????? Why were you so flustered?

You moved to where Frisk was laying, and actually what you were supposed to do in the first place. It was kept brief, and after asking Frisk about how they were feeling again, you stood up from your bent position and brushed the nonexistent dust off your coat. Well, there’s that. You looked around and locked eyes with the only other person in the room you haven’t talked to-- the skeleton. 

You were about to break eye contact when you noticed his eyes, or rather, the mildly cool facsimile of them. Scratch that, it wasn’t mildly cool, it was hella cool.

They were stars, shining in the midst of the blackness of his sockets. They were, they were--

Oh shit.

It’s that guy. The guy from your dream. And at this point you were pretty sure that you’ve been staring at him for longer than what was socially acceptable, based on his facial expression. It seemed like he’s used to it, though.

“something on my face, kid?”

His voice shook you from your reverie. You tried to stammer out a response, but once again, your vocabulary failed you, and all you’re left with was a bunch of incoherent syllables and your face turning beet red.

Okay, this is your cue to leave. “I uh, have to go now, um, other patients to get to? Yeah, anyways it was nice to meet you all and I’ll get going now, bye!”

You practically ran out of their room, and as you leaned against the wall, you could hear Toriel’s light chuckles as she said, “It seems someone is rather taken with you, my friend.”

Nope. Nope, nope, nope. Nope.

-

The next day, you woke up with gasping breaths and tears on your face.

As you got out of bed, a piece of paper was blown onto the floor from your bedside table.

_July 15, 201X. Bus station, accident. One dead._


	4. only you can wake me up

On the fifteenth of July, Sans woke up as if there was nothing wrong at all. He got out of bed, greeted Paps on the way down, and had breakfast with him in comfortable silence. Papyrus was a morning person, but he knew that Sans sure as hell wasn’t, and therefore toned down his voice in the mornings. It wasn’t until Paps stood up to carry his plate to the sink did Sans speak up.

“paps,” he started hesitantly, watching his brother turn towards him with a bright smile. “don’t take the bus today. walk with me.”

Whoa, where did that come from? He’d been trying to forget about the dream for a while now, even going as far as avoiding the hospital where he saw the girl. He watched as his brother’s smile faded slightly before replying. “BROTHER! I ADMIRE YOUR SUDDEN URGE TO EXERCISE THIS MORNING, BUT AS MUCH AS I WOULD LIKE TO BE THERE TO ENCOURAGE YOU, THERE ARE SOME THINGS WHICH I HAVE TO ATTEND TO, AND IF I WALK, I MIGHT BE LATE.” He said sadly, turning away and proceeding to wash his plate. Sans sighed. 

He _could_ stand up and give his plate to Paps, but he could also use his magic to clean it. Oh well. With a flick of his wrist, his plate was clean immediately, floating to where Papyrus was. The taller skeleton expertly caught it once Sans’s magic let go of it and placed it on the rack as well. 

Papyrus returned to readying his things for today, and Sans simply sat there watching, observing. 

The dream really got under his skin, which was saying a lot, because he didn't even have one, heh. He kept on seeing the girl’s soul, just hovering over her dead body, his brother's scarf almost blending in with the blood, the once greyish white pile of dust slowly becoming a dark shade of red. He let out a quiet goodbye as his brother left, and remained sitting.

Was it real?

Would it really happen?

He checked his watch. It was five minutes since Papyrus left. Maybe he should follow him for a bit, at least until he got on a bus. 

Yeah, that would probably be best. 

-

You were running down the stairs hurriedly, your coat barely on you as you practically flew to the door. You manage to shout out a rushed greeting to the old lady by the door who gives you a warm smile as always. “Good luck, doc!” She called out after you, and you smiled back. 

Okay, so time to think this through. 

There wasn't an exact time in the dream, and all you remembered was that it was in the morning. Possibly around seven to ten in the morning? Maybe. Where should you wait? The bus stop? You caught sight of it from afar and noted that there were already a lot of people. Maybe not then. 

In your distracted state, you ran into someone, almost dropping the newspaper you grabbed from your house. You turned around to apologize, all while still walking when you came to a sudden halt. 

That's…

That's certainly a skeleton. 

Also, that skeleton was the exact same one from two days ago. _Oh shit._

“S- sorry! I- um, uhh…” 

For the love of fuck, you were stuttering again. You look at him, trying to figure out his reaction, which looked slightly like horror and shock. Your heart sunk. Did you really make such a bad impression that day? Your smile faltered, and you let your hands fall to your sides. 

“cat got your tongue?” He asked finally, eye lights flicking to the neighborhood’s stray cat as it observed you two from the side, licking itself leisurely. “O-oh! Um, no?” You stammered out. “Sorry, I didn't notice you there. I’ve got to go now, um, uh-”

“where are you goin’ anyways?”

You blinked. What. “Bus station.” You answered, hands behind your back. You have no idea why you feel like a child who got caught with their hand in the cookie jar. Okay. Small talk. You should probably make small talk. What about though? Um. Oh!

“Do you… have a brother? I’ve seen another skeleton around, except he’s taller and is very nice.” Good job self. You're doing _fantastic_.

His eyes(???? you're so confused) widened, and it's his turn to be shocked as he nodded, smiling as he answered. “yeah, ‘ve got a younger one. his name’s papyrus.” An easy smile appeared on his face and you’re trying so hard not to think about your dream of him, or the one about his possible brother-

You're getting sidetracked. 

“Would you mind..” 

You're really going to do this, aren't you? Well, it's worth a shot. He’s tilted his head, waiting for you to continue. “Would you mind telling him not to go to the bus stop? He’s the one with the red scarf right?” You finished, and blanch as his eye lights disappeared. 

“why?”

It's not really a request was it? “I’ve got a bad feeling is all,” you said nervously, clenching your fists, trying to keep steady. His eyes flicked to your hands however, and he narrowed his eyes at you.

“was it..” It's his turn to trail off now as he looked at your feet. “..because of a dream you had?”

Your world stopped. No one knew about this. Everyone who knew about it was dead and- wait, that sounded bad. You only ever told anyone about it if they were _in_ the dream, and you were pretty sure that what you said to him in the hospital wasn't even a decent sentence! How did he know? 

It could be a coincidence, yes, but if a stranger told you not to let your brother near a bus stop, then you would probably accuse them of messing with you, not blame it on a dream they might or might not have had. 

“How did you…?” You looked at him disbelievingly. “Do you have the dreams too?”

He shook his head. “still figuring it out, kid. i’ve had a dream about this day, and let’s just say it didn't end well.” He said somberly, putting his hands in his pockets. He started to walk past you, leaving you standing there, dumbfounded. 

You wanted called out for him, trying to get him to stop, but you didn't remember his name. You shook your head, determined to prevent the accident- freaky coincidence or not. 

-

This cannot be happening. 

Sans practically threw himself into a shortcut to his lab in Snowdin, hurriedly kickstarting the machine. 

This was probably a load, but it didn't feel like it. Did Frisk break their promise? No- that was all a dream, he knew that, but how come he still met you at the exact same spot he did in the dream? You didn't say the exact same things you did in the dream, but the gist of it was there. You were headed to the bus stop, probably to save Papyrus, and you looked so shocked after he brought up the chance of you dreaming about it, and your soul--

Your soul felt the exact same way it did in his dream. 

The machine’s screen flickered on, and he skimmed through the readings, once again finding that there had been no loops. 

It was 9:47 am. 

He had to get to the bus stop _now._

-

Have you seen Papyrus? Yes. Have you you convinced him to leave? Not quite. He was insisting on protecting you from whatever dangers lurked in the world, and though the sentiment was sweet, it probably wasn't gonna help right now. “Papyrus,” you begged, tugging at his arm. “We have to go-”

“papyrus, shield!”

He pushed you behind him, a tall wall of bones erupting around the two of you. You squeezed your eyes shut, feeling bony arms wrap around you as the world became a screaming, shrieking mess of metal and shattered glass. Once the noise ended, the wall of bones receded into the ground, as you found yourself in Papyrus’s embrace. He gently let go of you, searching you for injuries, giving a nod upon finding that the worst of your injuries was a few scratches here and there. 

He maintained eye contact with you for a moment longer before turning to face the wreckage, all while brushing bits of glass from his clothing. As he walked towards it, you turned around to find the shorter skeleton from earlier holding up a shield of his own, protecting the civilians from the flying debris. 

It dissipated slowly as well, revealing shocked people behind it as you made eye contact with him. Time felt like it stopped for the two of you in this mess of glass and grotesquely bended metal. You don't know what you wanted to say, and neither did he, but it seemed that in that moment there was some sort of understanding that poured over you two as you nodded to each other. 

“You!” An enraged voice came from behind you, and when you turned, you found that it was coming from the wreck. The driver, most likely. 

You were a doctor, and you helped people. You took a few steps forward, slowly so you wouldn't startle him, until he pointed something at you. 

Was that… a gun?

Well isn't this eventful. “Stop right there, girl. This is between me and this vile creature.” He spat out venomously, pointing it at Papyrus instead. Panic rose within you, and with a voice similar to the one you use on patients panicking, you began to talk. “Sir, put the gun down. It's alright, we won't hurt you, he won't hurt you.” You said calmly, hands up in a placating gesture. 

He didn't even listen to you, glaring at Papyrus. “You monsters stole my daughter from me. You _stole my daughter from me!_ ”

 _Okaaaaay_. Family drama. Deductions? It was recent. By stolen, it was most likely that his daughter ran off with a monster despite his opinion about them. You checked the rest of the bus. No one else was there which meant that he was probably on his way back to the station. Was this planned? Maybe not. However, the gun means that he was planning on attacking someone- or a monster, to be specific. Papyrus didn't seem to recognize him, and kept calling him sir or human. So, not Papyrus then. Which would mean that he was planning on attacking any monster he got his hands on. 

Which also meant, he did this on purpose, judging by his rage at the fact that Papyrus was alive. 

Now you were _pissed_. You really wanted to just leave him there in pain, but y’know, doctor’s oath and all that. You took another step forward, and no one noticed. 

However, you noticed that he cocked his gun and was definitely aiming it at Papyrus. “Go to hell, demon.” He snarled, firing. Out of instinct, you threw yourself at Papyrus, protecting him. Luckily, the man’s aim was shit, and didn't hit any vital organs of yours, but did hit your leg. 

Whelp. Future you would have deal with that instead, you thought, as you hit the ground head first. 

The next few moments were a Mess. 

Papyrus did something, you presume, in your haziness. You felt cold, and maybe you were even shaking. Shock? Maybe. You don't know. Not really. 

Time felt weird, like it slowed down immensely. The world was also darkening, and in your shock you managed to be slightly pissed at movies. It wasn't a slow fade to black- it felt like the world was glitching, and everyone sounded like they were a room away and not beside you. You decided to blame that when you barely even noticed that the other skeleton had moved to support your head in his lap, brushing your hair from your face. 

He was so blurred out now, just appearing to you as a blue blob against the sky. “are you okay?” He said, voice deep and filled with concern. 

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. You managed to reach up to touch your nose, drawing back and finding blood on it. In your mind, you vaguely remember your dream a few days ago. You wanted to laugh, but you were so out of it that you barely even registered him telling Papyrus to call the police. He was telling you something, but you couldn't hear him. 

Instead, you hear dream-him’s voice. 

_relax- yeah, i know it hurts, but moving will only make it worse. it's okay, you're safe. i’m here now._

_you're going to be okay._

Your eyes focused long enough for you to see starlike pricks of light. You smiled. “I know,” you whispered. 

“I know.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok this took way longer than i thought it would rip
> 
> hope u all liked it! y'all have to tell me if you feel like this is moving too fast or anything, okay? i love hearing from you guys <3
> 
> hopefully i'll get the next chapter up by next week; my muse is a fickle thing.

**Author's Note:**

> heya. issa here- just wanted to say thank you for giving my fic a shot! i've literally never published anything in my entire life, so i hope you'll be gentle with me. i know it's a bit of a rough ride right now, but i swear it'll get better (sorry i know it's short!). also, massive thanks to tyranttortoise for being an absolute angel and helping me with my blurb, and nicole and all my other friends for listening to me as i ramble about potential scenarios <3
> 
> that's all, loves! see you then <3


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